KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton is urging Jamaicans to check in with their family and friends amid concerns of rising cases of suicides and mental wellness issues.
“My call is for every single Jamaican to stop, to think, to look around their environment to see what is happening with their loved ones, with their friends, to offer support where they can; and where they can’t, to seek support from the public health system, through faith-based groups, through other safe spaces and safe persons,” Tufton said.
Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton (File Photo)
“It is going to take each of us to address the mental health challenge,” he added.
Health authorities have confirmed there have been increases in the suicides on the island, as well as an increase in the number of calls to the Ministry of Health and Wellness’s Mental Suicide Prevention Helpline last month.
There were 633 calls to the line, and Tufton’s comments follow a call recently from the chief executive officer of the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC), Kaysia Kerr, for parents to pay close attention to changes in their children’s behavior amid an increase in student suicides.
“If your child begins to act differently, do not dismiss it as typical teenage behavior. Investigate in a loving and non-threatening way. Children need to feel safe enough to speak,” Kerr said, adding that behavioral shifts, whether subtle or extreme, can be early indicators of emotional distress or trauma.
The NPSC senior official said there were several warning signs that parents should monitor, including sudden bedwetting in younger children; changes in appetite or sleep patterns; increased restlessness or lethargy; withdrawal from social interaction; heightened agitation, anxiety, or hyperactivity; and unusual body-hiding behaviors or prolonged staring spells.
The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) said it also wanted to draw national attention to what it described as “a concerning trend” in suicide cases recorded across the island this year.
According to the JCF, between January and September 2025, a total of 44 suicides were recorded, compared to 53 cases for the same period last year, representing a 16.9 per cent year-on-year decline.
“At face value, this decline appears positive; however, the monthly breakdown reveals a troubling pattern. Suicides were consistently lower in the first six months of 2025 compared with 2024, but the second half of the year has seen a reversal. July 2025 recorded eight suicides – a 33 per cent increase over July 2024 – while August and September rose by 20 per cent and 25 per cent respectively compared with the same months last year,” the JCF said.
It said that while the overwhelming majority of suicides remain among males, there are indications that suicides among women, while still relatively low, may be edging upwards.
“This signals the need for urgent gender-sensitive interventions, as women’s experiences with self-harm often differ and may be linked to domestic, relational, or social factors that require tailored responses,” the JCF said.
The Ministry of Health and Wellness stated that it is continuing its efforts to enhance the island’s mental health services, including ongoing sensitization of the health team to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues.
Just over a month ago, a group of some 47 non-psychiatric healthcare workers were provided training under the World Health Organization (WHO) Mental Health Gap Action Program (mhGAP), which exposes team members to the various manifestations of mental disorders, including depression.
The authorities said that the School Mental Health Literacy Program will resume in schools in the new academic year. With guidance counselors as the primary facilitators, the program will provide students with the opportunity to enhance their understanding of mental health conditions and coping strategies, aiming to reduce stigma and promote more effective mental health-seeking behaviors.
“At the community level, we are continuing the deployment of Problem Management Plus providers to offer support services for persons experiencing mild emotional distress or who are faced with adverse challenges, including relationship issues, workplace issues, etc. We currently have some 45 active providers in the field,” Tufton said.
“We continue to operate our public mental health clinics, of which there are more than 150 that cater to adults and more than 20 to children and adolescents island-wide,” he added.
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